I can honestly say that Montserrat is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. And this is saying a lot because I am often impressed by the beauty of a place. But this place was utterly stunning in so many ways. It is the kind of place that has to be experienced to understand.

I mentioned my small epiphany while I was there standing before the Black Madonna. The oddest thing about that. I didn’t mention in my original post that I did, indeed, try to snap a picture of her as I was walking up toward it. I was caught up in the mob mentality. The moment I snapped it was the moment I realized my folly. I decided to instead be in the moment, rather than an observer of that moment through the lens of a camera. When I went back later to look at the photos the photo I snapped of the Black Madonna was blurry! My husband’s photos of it were as well. The Black Madonna wasn’t having any of our touristy photo snapping.

When we were there it was cold and we didn’t dress for the weather. Rafael was also coming down with what would later be a really awful stomach thing. So we didn’t spend as much time there as we would have liked. As we were traveling up the mountain we noticed several paths that would have been interesting to walk. Someday I will return to walk them. And I will dress for the weather.

Camera used was a Terrapin Bijou. Film was Ektar.